Airplane-radiator shutter



Dec. 1 1925' L. L. SNOW AIRPLANE RADIATOR SHUTTER Filed May 11, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 avwcntoz attorney;

Dec. 1 1925- r L. L. SNOW AIRPLANE RADIATOR SHUTTER Filed May 11, 19 3 R a Sheets-Sheet 2 :i o l O 0 F10.

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Filed May 11, 1925 Svwewto-z lm zwm Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

LQBENZO I. SNOW, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

AIRPLANE-RADIATOR SHUTTER.

I Application filed May 11, 1923. Serial No. 638,284.

effected with a minimum expenditure of time, physical efiort and expense.

In many airplanes, especially those of the tractor type, it is found necessary to mount the radiator in the nose of the fuse: lage or body of the machine. In order to so mount the radiator and the shutter, where one is used in conjunction with the radiator, it becomes necessary to extend the propeller shaft or engine shaft through the radiator and the shutter, the radiator and shutter being mounted in front of the engine and between the engine and the propeller and its hub.

By means of the construction herein fully disclosed, the shutter slats of the radiator are so mounted that the slats above and below the opening for the propeller shaft and at opposite sides of said opening are all capable of being concurrently operated or moved toward other open positions.

By means of the construction herein disclosed, it is also practicable to quickly and easily remove any one or more or all of the shutter slats, one or more being detachable without disturbing the remainder. At the same time the invention embodies a sturdy and serviceable construction of radiator shutter which will stand the rough usage and unusual strains to which a radibroken away to better illustrate the construction and relative arrangement of the parts thereof,

Figure "1 is a detail in elevation with portions broken away, showing the interior of the channel members and the operating means;

Figure 2 is a view partly in side edge I elevation and partly in section of the same; Figure 3 is a side elevation of one of the frame members the same forming a housing for a portion of the shutter operating mechanism;

Figure 4 is a front edge view or elevation thereof; Figure 5 is through the same;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of one of the cap sections used in conjunction with the. frame member of Figures 3 and 4;

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the same; Figure 8 is a cross section thereof; 1 Figure 9 is a front elevation diagram of the shaft system of the radiator shutter;

Figure 10 is an edge viewof one of the shutter operating slides;

Figure 11 is 'a'cross section through the same. r

The shape of the radiator is designed a horizontal cross section with reference to the special size and shape or outline of the nose portion of the fuselage in conjunction with which the same is used, and the radiator shutter is made of corresponding shape and size and is illus- 'trated in the drawings as mounted directly in front of the radiator and behind the propeller where .it is subjected to the propeller throws.

In order to mount the radiator and shutter in the nose portion of the fuselage, it becomes necessary to extend the shaft of the engine or the propellor shaft through an opening in the radiator and the shutter. The opening in the shutter is indicated at l in Figure 1 of the drawings, said opening being shown as of rectangular shape. The

shutter, as a whole, is composed of any suitable number of horizontally extending shutter slats 2 arranged in a vertical series,

each slat being preferably of tubular and streamline formation, as shown in Figure 2, and the sizes thereof adapting the slats when in a closed position, to abut against each other edge to edge, as illustrated, thereby preventing the air to pass to and through the core of the radiator.

Each of'the slats 2 is mounted fixedly upon a rock shaft 3, preferably of tubular formation, as shown, and the reel: shafts of all the shutter slats are journaled in a shutter to be removed from the radiator when it becomes necessary.

Referring now more particularly to Fig ures 3, 4 and 5, it will be observed that each 'of the frame members a is of'channeled formation, this being best shown in Figure 5, which'is a cross section through one of the members 4.- When all the parts are in place the open front side of the channeled member t is closed by means of a housing cap 8, which is also of channel formation and which fits over and closes said open front end of the channeled member 4. The channel member 4," which is preferably formed of sheet metal, is proveded adjacent its open side with inwardly extending overlapping tabs 9 which are brazed to- 'ether so as to brace the open side of the member 4. At intervals in the length of each channel member 4a, a stud-carrying plate 10 is pressed or otherwise united to the overlapping tabs 9 at the inner side thereof, and a stud 11 extending therefrom passes through the tabs 9 and forms a part of the means for fastening the cap 8 in place, as will hereinafter appear.

The side walls ofthe channel member 4 are formed with open-ended bearing notches 12 into which the rock shafts 3 are fitted and from which they may be forwardly removed for the purpose of detaching one or more of the shutter slats 2. The member 4 is further provided with internally arranged guides 13 for the shutter operatin slide, hereinafter described, each of said guides 13 being in form of a-plate inserted in a kerf 14 cut into the rear side and extending transversely part way through the member 4. Each guide 13 is brazed or otherwisefastened in place and is formed with a guide opening 15, shown best in Figure 5 to direct the up and down movements of the slide hereinafter referred to.

Referring now to Figures 6, 7 and 8, the cap 8..ab0ve referred to is substantially U-shaped in cross section, as shown in Figure 8, and is formed in its inner side with bearing notches 16, which, when the cap is placed in position, partially embraces the rock shafts 3, which therefore have a firm bearin in both sections 4 and 8 of the upright frame member. The'cap 8" is further provided with an outstanding lug 17 hav' ing a hole 18 therethrough to receive a reneeaeae taining wire or cotter pin 19 which is inserted through the projecting end of the stud 11 and through the hole 18 and twisted upon itself, as indicated in. Figure 1. By removing the several wires 19 the caps 8 may be readily detached from the frame member 4: and the slats and their journals or rock shafts may then be lifted out of place.

The several rock shafts 3 are provided in line with the frame members 1 with crank arms 20 extending rearwardly from the rock shafts, as shown in Figure 2, and said crank arms are formed with open-ended notches 21" in which work pins or projections 22 on one pair of shutter-operating slides 23. Each of the slides is movable longitudinally within the respective frame member 4 and through the guide openings 15 in the guide members 13, above described. Due to the feature of construction just described, it will now be seen that when the caps 8 are removed from the members a, the slats and rock shafts. may be forwardly displaced from the bearing notches 12 and the crank arms 20 may be simultaneously displaced from the pins 22 on the shutter operating slides 23; this makes it a very easy matter to remove one or more of the shutter slats or rock shafts without disturbing the remainder of them.

Referring again to Figure 1, it will be seen that at opposite sides of the opening 1, short slats 2 are employed and as they cannot be connected across the opening 1 some means must be providedfor connecting the slats at one side of said opening with the remainder of the slats for ointand simultaneous operation. This is done by. connecting all thcslats at one side of the opening 1 to a single operating slide as shown in Figure 2, and employing at the opposite side of the opening 1 a relatively shorter -shut tor-operating slide. 23 connected-in the same way as above described to crank arms 20 on the rock shafts above and below the opening 1 and to other similar crank arms on the shutter slats, as shown in'Figure 1. By means just described all of the slats are operated by the movement of the under shutter-operatin slide 23, shown'in Figure 2 and to the right of the center of Fi urel.

Any suitable means may be emp oyed for imparting longitudinal movement to the shutter-operating slide 23. The means illustrated in the drawings comprises upper and lower cables 24 whlch asses around an operating form or hand e, not shown, although one'cable will answer for both. The end portions of the cable or cables pass through casings 25 around pulleys 26 and are connected at 27 to the upper and lower extremities of the slide 23, as best 'illus-' trated in Figures 1 and 2. The 0 erator may thus move the slide23npwar y' and A ing to and engaging in a similar way longer rock shafts extending above and beneath the opening 1, as clearly shown in Figure 1.'

This brazes the rock shafts relatively to -each other and greatly strengthens the construction.

The tie bars 28 are shown fastened in place by means of washers 29 and cotter pins 30, although any suitable means for the purpose may be substituted.

As shown in Figures 10 and 11, each of I the slides 23 is composed of parallel barlike members 31 and interposed connecting pins 22,'which pins engage the open notches 21 of the crank arms 20, as above described. As shown in Figure 9, the length of the several rock shafts 3 is approximately the same as the respective shutter slats. while the crank arms'2O are arranged in two vertical series and operate within the channeled frame members In.view of the foregoingdescription,

taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will now be understood that the shutter slats are capable'of being simply and easily removed and replaced without removing the entire shutter from its mounting. Furthermore, the shutter is, even as a Whole or in part, easily removable. over the pro-' pellerhub. The design of the shutter is adaptable to many sizes and shapes." All operating mechanism is inclosed' or housed.

The construction is locked and parts tied together in such a manner as to protect the shutter when removed from the radiator. l urthermore, the design reduces strains on the-radiator to a minimum. The actuating. mechanism is enclosed, protecting it from the weather and damage from the outside. This-also facilitates keeping lubricants and corrosion preventatives on the actuating mechanism.

What I claim is j 1. An airplane radiator shutter, embodying a frame having upright channeled housings formed with bearing notches, shutter slats journaled for pivotal movement in said notches, and shutter slat operating members slidable in said housings, said slats being detachable from said housings and operating members. Y 2. Anairplane radiator shutter embodying channeled housings having bearing notches and guiding means, shutter slats having journals removably set in said bearing notches, and shutter. operating slides movable longitudinally within said housings and directed by said guiding means.

An airplane radiator shutter embody- 3 ing channeled housings having bearing notches and guiding means, shutter slats having ournals removably set in saidbearing notches, and shutter-operating slides directed by said guiding means within the channeled housings and having a detachable pin and open notch engagement with the shutter slats.

4:. An airplane radiator shutter embodying channeled housings having bearing notches and guiding means, shutter slat-s having journals removably set' in said bearing notches, removable housing caps covering the open sides of the channeled housings, and shutter-operating slides movable longitudinally withinsaid housings and directed by said guiding means.

5. An airplane radiator shutter embodying channeled housings having bearing notches and guiding means, shutter slats having journals removably set in said bearing notches, removable housing caps covering the open sides of the channeled housings and having bearing notches for the journals of the slats, and shutter-operating slides .movable longitudinally within said housings and directed by said guiding means.

6. An airplane radiator shutter embodying channeled housings having open ended bearing notches, shutter slats having journals fitting in but forwardly displaceable from said notches, crank arms extending vfrom the shutter slats and having open ended notches therein, and a shutter-operating slide movable within one of said housings. and having pins. which work in thenotches of the crank arms.

-7. An airplane radiator shutter embodys ing parallel rock shafts, shutter slats fixedly mountedthereon, a channeled housing having open ended bearing notches in which said rock shafts work but from which they maybe forwardly-displaced, and a shutter-operating slide lllOVflblBdVltlllIl said housing, and separable mot-ion transmitting means operatively connecting said rock shafts and shutter-operating slide 8. An airplane radiator shutter embody ing parallel rock shafts, shutter slats fixedly mounted thereon, a channeled housing having open ended bearing notches inwhich' said rock shafts work but from which they maybe forwardly displaced, and a shutteroperating slide movable within said housing and separable -mot.ion transmitting means operatively connecting said rock shafts and shutter-operating slide, and a shutter-operating cable connected with said slide. 9. An airplane radiator shutter embodying parallel rock shafts havingshutter slats which sections has open ended bearing notches in which said rock shafts are jour neledt and from which they are forwardly displeceable upon separation of seiti sectiens, and shutter-operating means comprising a slide housed Within sand; frame member and; from engagement with Which said shu ter slat and. rock shafts may be Withdrawn.

10. An airplane radiator shutter embedying rock shafts having shutter stats fixed thereon, member, seki rcck shat'ts Leeaem 

